Summary: Chandler and Monica watch a birthing video meant for Rachel. Ross tries to find a way to tell Mona that he's living with Rachel now. Phoebe gets Joey a dog to help him get over Rachel.
The Good: This was another consistently good episode. All 3 stories were really well done. The birthing video story is good fun and Chandler watching it because he thought it was porn is a really funny scene. The conclusion with Chandler and Monica watching it with Rachel is satisfying, and the subversion with Rachel still being horrified despite the baby coming out is pretty funny. Ross is excellent as ever in his storyline, and his awkwardness is a blast to watch (when is it not). The break-up was always going to happen and I like that even Ross knows that he deserved to be broken up with. The Joey story is the least funny, but there are some funny moments and lines with the dog and Phoebe. The interactions between characters are what really make this episode stand out. Everyone has great chemistry after 8 seasons and the writers continue to find funny lines and moments. As long as the storylines are good, we typically get really funny episodes. The ending cliffhanger and Joey's talk with Ross are a good way to end the episode on a more serious note. The Bad: The birthing video storyline goes too far in a few places which took away from the humour. Joey's story is more serious so there aren't a lot of laughs to it. Best Moment: I'll go with Chandler seeing "Candy and Cookie" thinking it's porn, and then watching the video with a horrified expression. Character of the Episode: Ross. Conclusion: That's four really consistent episodes in a row, and this was the best of the bunch. This season has had its ups and downs, but I'm happy to see that there is no shortage of laughs and the show is slowly starting to treat its characters with respect again. Hopefully this can continue for the rest of the season. Score: 70
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Summary: Ross is upset that he isn't more involved with Rachel's pregnancy so Joey has to make a choice. Chandler tries to find out what's inside Monica's secret closet. Phoebe convinces Monica to let her give her massages.
The Good: This is mostly a well written episode. The jokes are witty, there are several clever ideas and the characters are used in very entertaining ways. The closet story is simple but fun, and it leads to some really fun moments as Chandler tries to find his way in. The payoff is a lovely moment and it makes sense that even a small part of Monica is messy, and not only that, but somewhat proud of her messes (she thinks Chandler will mess it up). Joey's story is excellent. There are a lot of funny lines thrown in like Rachel about contractions, Ross bringing the wrong food for Rachel and Joey's dream. The show also does a really good job of showing us Joey's conflict at feeling like he's preventing Ross from being a father. It was handled maturely but the writers did well to still include lots of funny moments. The scenes with Joey and Chandler were excellently written, and highlight how good this show can be when the characters treat each other like friends without any goofy, stupid storylines. The Bad: Unfortunately the Monica/Phoebe story isn't good. Monica's weird response to massages is funny but it makes no sense and will likely never be brought up again, making it pointless. Phoebe not being able to tolerate it feels out of character since Phoebe has always been the weird, eccentric one and she should be able to approve of Monica's quirks. Thankfully this storyline was very brief and didn't get much focus. Best Moment: Joey and Chandler talking about what Joey should do while attempting (and failing) to open the closet door. It's a great scene between two friends with some funny lines thrown in with bobby pins, Richard being inside and Chandler losing his credit card. Character of the Episode: Joey. Conclusion: This was a really strong episode. It might not be the funniest of the show, but there were consistent laughs, solid storytelling and the weakest storyline didn't have very much time dedicated to it. Score: 69 Summary: Monica convinces Chandler to take a bath. Monica and Chandler think Joey has a crush on Phoebe and tell her. Rachel and Ross argue over baby names.
The Good: Chandler taking a bath is a surprisingly funny storyline. There are some nice moments, especially with the ridiculous boat, and Chandler stealing Monica's bath was a fun joke. Better yet was Chandler facing karma as literally everyone walks into the bathroom as he's bathing. Joey's story was handled well and his crush on Rachel is dealt with in a respectable manner by everyone. I like that Chandler and Monica figured out that something was going on with him. Ross and Rachel's debates are pretty fun as usual, and the recurrence of Ruth had a pretty good pay-off. The Bad: It makes no sense why Monica and Chandler would tell Phoebe that Joey has a crush on her without first confirming with Joey. Ross and Rachel's arguments feel pretty frivolous and both characters come off as annoying at times. The episode overall had several chuckles but it never made me laugh hard like the best episodes have. Best Moment: Everyone walking into the bathroom while Chandler's in the tub. Character of the Episode: Chandler. Conclusion: Again, this was a pretty consistent episode. Not quite on the same level as the last one, but this is solid comedy and I had fun watching it. Score: 65 Summary: Joey goes on a pretend date with Rachel to prepare for his actual date. Phoebe buys Chandler and Monica a Ms. Pacman machine. Ross gets to teach an advanced class, but it's all the way across town.
The Good: This is a consistently solid episode. Joey's date with Rachel is pretty fun and they have surprisingly good chemistry. I'm not sure how I feel about the Joey/Rachel romance, but they do have very funny scenes together as two friends on a pretend date. The other two storylines are nothing special but they do offer laughs. Chandler's immature names and his "claw" are stupid but they are executed well enough to be funny. Phoebe swearing up a storm at the end is a good jokes to finish the storyline. Ross being late is pure filler, but it's very funny so I can accept it. The Bad: As per usual, there is inherent silliness within the episode that detracts from it. Ross not looking into the location of the advanced class before accepting is stupid. Joey has made so many jokes about not wanting to listen to Ross talk in this season that I'm starting to wonder why they're even friends. As mentioned above, Chandler gets a bit too silly in the Ms. Pacman story. Best Moment: Joey and Rachel sharing their moves to each other. The pretend date is a really clever concept. Character of the Episode: Joey. Conclusion: Sure there were problems with silliness, but this was a consistently fun episode even with the silliness. It feels good to have a consistent episode, especially with how inconsistent "Friends" has been lately. Score: 68 Summary: Wanda frees her kids. Hayward releases White Vision who comes to kill Wanda but Vision comes to fight him. Wanda battles Agatha and realizes what she's doing to the residents of Westview and lets them go. Hayward and SWORD are able to enter the Hex. Vision talks White Vision into leaving. Wanda defeats Agatha. Monica, Billy and Tommy take down SWORD. Wanda dissipates the Hex and says goodbye to Vision and her kids. Wanda moves to a cabin and studies magic.
The Good: I liked seeing Vision talk his way to victory against White Vision. Wanda defeating Agatha using her intelligence was clever too. I like the idea of everyone being afraid of Wanda and jaded against her after what she did. Wanda's farewells to her family were very sad and were easily the best parts of the episode. The Bad: This episode had countless dumb moments. Agatha and White Vision were essentially just Wanda and Vision if they were evil, which is a trope that the MCU always uses and it's painfully lazy every time. Hayward is even worse, he ended up being a boring bad guy that got taken out like a wimp. Monica ultimately had no role in the story and her character went nowhere. I'm frustrated that we spent so much time with her without any payoff. Fietro just being some guy is a horrible reveal that serves as a slap in the face to both fans and people expecting a real story. The Bohner joke was painful. Agatha's fight with Wanda was horrible and had no sense of stakes or drama. Agatha can absorb energy from the other witches so easily, but with Wanda she just can't. The episode failed to properly convey the morality and horror of Wanda controlling other people's minds with her grief which was a huge disappointment. Monica treating Wanda like a hero saying "they won't understand what you sacrificed for them" is a really stupid moment that makes it seem like Monica is justifying Wanda's selfishness. Wanda should be accepting that what she did was immoral and wrong, not that she was making some honourable sacrifice. The story is all wrong. White Vision never returned which was hugely underwhelming. Wanda's farewell to Vision wasn't as powerful as it could have been since we know that another Vision still exists. A lot of plot threads were resolved poorly or were used as set-up for other MCU movies, which makes their presence in this movie frustrating. Best Moment: Wanda saying goodbye to Vision. Conclusion: This episode completely fell flat and was an incredibly disappointing finale. After a show that felt like such a departure from typical MCU content, having it go back to the status quo in the final episode was a terrible decision. The episode was also very poorly written and offered nearly nothing of substance. A really weak ending to an otherwise solid enough TV show. I've written a full review of the season here. Score: 43 Summary: Flashbacks reveal Agatha is a witch who absorbed power from other witches. Agatha wishes to know how Wanda made the Hex so she forces Wanda to take a trip through her past. Flashbacks show that Wanda gained something when exposed to the Mind Stone. In her grief, Wanda created the Hex against her will using her powers. Agatha realizes that Wanda is the Scarlet Witch.
The Good: This was a very focused episode and it benefitted from that. The experience of Wanda being sent through the traumas of her past reminded me a lot of some of the best episodes of "Watchmen", which is really impressive. This was a uniquely shot experience that did a lot to connect us with Wanda's inner conflict, showing us the extent of her grief in a heartbreaking way. The episode also did a tremendous job of showing us why Wanda and Vision ended up together, finally making me buy into this relationship. I also really liked the reality of Wanda's time of SWORD with the reveal that she didn't actually take Vision. Her saying she "couldn't feel him" was a nice callback and was suitably sad. Her breakdown in Westview was built up to nicely and was acted incredibly well. The Bad: The ending of the episode was pretty jarring. I wasn't a huge fan of Agatha in this episode because she lost a lot of her personality and got a very basic backstory. She's lacking in motivation. While this episode did parallel "Watchmen", the story being told wasn't even close to as complexly fascinating as those in "Watchmen". This was still a very 2-dimensional episode and I think it could have benefitted from giving Wanda more character depth than just grief or trauma. Best Moment: Wanda's breakdown in Westview was a powerful moment. Conclusion: This episode did a lot of things right and felt unique from everything else we've gotten so far from this show. It still had flaws, but overall it was a really enjoyable experience. Score: 66 Summary: Vision finds Darcy and awakens her, learning about himself and the Hex. He tries to get t Wanda but runs into several obstacles. Monica gets into Westview and gains superpowers. Wanda is depressed and sends her kids to stay with Agnes. Monica contacts her and starts talking to her, but Agnes takes Wanda away. Wanda learns that Agnes is actually Agatha and has orchestrated lots of events.
The Good: The Agatha reveal was a big one and it nicely sets up the next episode to give us lots of answers. I'm pleased with this reveal because Kathryn Hahn has been giving a great performance all season and I'm glad that she will be important to the story. The "Agatha All Along" song was really well done and added some stylistic flair to the reveal. The production of this show has always been excellent. The Bad: The rest of the episode didn't work as well. Vision's story was pretty flat and he was given surprisingly little to do despite learning some really important information. Monica remains a completely unengaging character. How she managed to steal major SWORD equipment feels very convenient, but even worse is how she just happens to get superpowers by going through the Hex. It's a dumb moment. Also, Monica trying to relate her grief of losing her mother to Wanda's grief is laughable. Much of what came before the ending reveal felt like it was stalling and there wasn't as much substance to the story. Best Moment: Agatha All Along. Conclusion: This episode had a great ending, but everything before that was pretty unsatisfying. Score: 58 Summary: Hayward removes Monica, Jimmy and Darcy from SWORD. They start investigating into Hayward's actions and discover he is following Vision. In Westview, Wanda gets more comfortable with Pietro but it's not quite right. Vision stays distant and becomes more aware. He attempts to escape Westview and SWORD awaits him. Wanda extends The Hex in response to save Vision. Monica, Jimmy and Hayward barely stay out of range.
The Good: There are parts of this that are really good. The Malcolm in the Middle parody is a ton of fun and this episode has by far the best comedy thus far. Vision's scenes are still a highlight. Following him as he tries to uncover the truth is surprisingly engaging and creepy, and the character's identity crisis is compelling television. Wanda and Pietro's story is really interesting. Casting Evan Peters as Pietro is an incredibly interesting choice that opens up a world of possibilities. There are tons of interesting moments between them and Wanda finally breaking and attacking him at the end was a great moment. The expansion of The Hex was a perfect climax for the episode that shakes things up. The Bad: Hayward looks like he's going to just be another bland government villain. I'm not at all interested. His ejection of Monica, Jimmy and Darcy was a generic and uninteresting story that had little to no interesting moments. Best Moment: Vision talking with Agnes was perfectly unsettling and served as a great reveal for Vision. Conclusion: This was a really strong episode. It's a plot-heavy episode with plenty of twists and some decent character work in there. While not quite as good as the last episode, this was a ton of fun. Score: 65 Summary: Wanda and Vision raise their boys who age rapidly. Agnes appears and seems to not notice the magic. Meanwhile, SWORD gathers information from Monica and Hayward declares Wanda to be a threat, sending a drone to kill her. Wanda emerges and threatens Hayward before returning to Westview. Vision becomes aware that something is off and has an argument with Wanda. They are interrupted when a different looking Pietro arrives at Wanda's door.
The Good: This was easily the best episode yet. The WandaVision scenes are really strong since they are less focused on bad comedy and instead emphasize that something strange is going on. Watching Vision become more aware is fascinating and creepy, and the mystery surrounding Wanda's role in all of this is really compelling. No answers properly add up, so it's exciting to follow and watch these characters attempt to uncover the mystery they are trapped in. The SWORD scenes are also pretty good since we learn a lot and get hints that Hayward may have a deeper motivation than what meets the eye. Wanda's fight with Vision and her confrontation with Hayward were both excellent scenes. The Bad: Nothing I'd call bad. The episode doesn't have anything to make it especially great, but it's consistently solid. Best Moment: Wanda and Vision's argument was impressively done. Despite how little we know these characters, their struggles and conflicts are portrayed clearly to us, so we can understand the stakes of this argument and the motivations of each character. The character writing was really well done. Conclusion: This episode was really good. It enhanced the mystery, had a sense of momentum and gave us some excellent scenes with good character moments. I really liked this one. Score: 67 Summary: Monica reappears after The Blip and learns her mother has died. She returns to SWORD headquarters and is assigned to a missing persons case in Westview with Jimmy Woo. Monica discovers a strange barrier and is sucked in, becoming Geraldine. Darcy is brought in, and she discovers a sitcom about Wanda being broadcasted from Westview, and they unsuccessfully try to contact her. After Wanda learns about Geraldine, she uses her powers to eject her and lies to Vision.
The Good: I really liked the opening of the episode which explored the chaos that erupted when The Blip happened. It was a really well done sequence that neatly captured the insanity of this event. The rest of the episode is a really good formula break, changing up the flow in a brilliant way to star showing us the bigger picture. We got a lot of answers about the oddities in previous episodes and the nature of Westview, but there are still enough important questions left for the show to remain mysterious. The Bad: The characters in this episode were not very strong. Monica, Darcy, Jimmy and Hayward have been flat and forgettable so far, so an entire episode with them isn't as good as it could have been. The episode is missing an emotional core to it, since it primarily thrives on giving us answers rather than telling a story. Furthermore, there is far too much exposition in this episode, and the few character moments are either very shallow moments or bad jokes. Best Moment: The opening minutes showing The Blip. Conclusion: This episode broke the formula and gave us plenty of answers so we could understand the context and significance of the story. The characters were flat and the episode feels like it was too expositional, but it was still a solid step up that sets up the world of "WandaVision" for a good story. Score: 62 Summary: Wanda is pregnant and is going through her pregnancy at a rapid rate. Geraldine arrives and Wanda tries to hide her pregnancy from her. Wanda eventually gives birth with Vision and Geraldine and has twins. Wanda realizes Geraldine is hiding something and ejects her from Westview.
The Good: This is a much more interesting episode. The sitcom fun is still there, but there is a lot more to this one. Wanda gets to show some of her grief in this episode, talking about her brother's death. Meanwhile Vision starts to become aware of his absurd reality and starts asking questions about where he is and who he is. The end of the episode builds tension extremely well, leaving us with the big mysteries of who Geraldine is, if Wanda is controlling everything, and how Vision is alive in this world. The ending marks a turn for the show that lets us know that answers as well as the real story will be revealed to us soon. The Bad: The early parts of the episode still have the air of filler. Seeing Wanda race through her pregnancy is really weird because she has never had this kind of power before. I don't know what to make of it, and the lack of reaction from the characters does not help with how confusing this is. Best Moment: The final couple minutes after Wanda realizes that there is something wrong with Geraldine. Conclusion: This episode still suffers from some of the flaws from the first two episodes, but it ratchets things up in the second half, promising answers and a more meaningful story for the people who were patient enough to get this far. Score: 60 Summary: Wanda and Vision prepare for a talent show. Vision swallows gum and starts malfunctioning. Wanda experiences visions of somebody trying to contact her but she erases them.
The Good: There is a lot of interesting stuff here. Wanda's strange visions that break the immersion are extraordinarily well done. The splashes of colour, the weird beekeeper man and the mysterious voice all provide great mystery. The sitcom spoof is done as well as ever and the creative intros and commercials are a blast to watch. There is better comedy here than in the first episode. The Bad: Something is missing. The show is still frustrating in its pacing, and Wanda and Vision aren't compelling enough as characters to make this slow pacing work. The mystery is definitely intriguing, but intrigue isn't enough to make a good TV episode. I need more investment into the story than what the show is presenting. As cool as the sitcom style is, I can't help but feel that a lot of this content is filler. Best Moment: Dottie starting to bleed and Wanda hearing the voice before the sudden reset was a very creepy moment. The show is doing these immersion-breaking moments in a really unsettling way. Conclusion: This episode made some improvements on the first one, but the show continues to make me impatient with the lack of substance so far. Score: 57 Summary: Wanda and Vision have moved into Westview and have to prepare for Vision's boss to arrive at dinner. However, something seems amiss with the world.
The Good: This is a curious episode. The 1950s sitcom references are tons of fun, and even if the jokes aren't that funny, I was amused by how well put together this was in terms of capturing the feel of the 1950s. It's clear there was a lot of heart put into this show. The highlight scene is absolutely when Mrs. Hart starts creepily staring at Wanda, telling her to "stop it". It's a tense moment that really heightens the mystery of what's going on in this world. The Bad: This is a very slow episode. This is an MCU show, so having this first episode be purely a sitcom is a bold move and I don't think it works. Obviously something is going on, and the more time the show spends acting like it's just a sitcom, the more frustrating it gets. Since this episode spoofed a sitcom, it needed to be funny. Unfortunately the humour is limited to parody and there aren't any worthwhile jokes here. Best Moment: The creepy "stop it" moment. Conclusion: This is a stylistic and unexpected first episode, but the pacing and weak comedy hurt it. Score: 55 Intro: Before tackling this show, I need to address the MCU-sized elephant in the room. I will not be reviewing this show from the perspective of an MCU fan, rather from the perspective of a TV critic. What this means is that I will not be talking about connections to the comics, significance of scenes to the rest of the MCU, Easter Eggs, or any speculation about the future. I will purely be viewing this show as a simple TV show that happens to take place in the MCU. That being said, I am a fan of the MCU and have seen all of the films so I do have the context I need to enjoy this show,. I will be referring to the MCU a couple times in this review as a point of reference.
Summary: Wanda and Vision live in a sitcom world in the town of Westview. She is pregnant and gives birth to twins. SWORD, which rose up after the snap, is investigating Westview after all of its residents have been reported missing. Monica ends up being sucked into Westview and experiences the sitcom world before being ejected by Wanda. Monica wants to resolve things amicably, but Hayward doesn't. Vision begins to realize that there's something wrong with the world and confronts Wanda about it, but Wanda seems to not fully be in control. Pietro appears, looking very different from before and Wanda starts to confide in him. Vision tries to escape Westview and Wanda saves him by expanding the borders. Monica enters Westview again by traveling through the borders, gaining superpowers. Wanda's neighbour Agnes is revealed to be Agatha and kidnaps Wanda's kids. Wanda goes to get them back and goes through a trip to her past, where Agatha learns Wanda is the Scarlet Witch. Wanda learns that she created this world and suppressed her own memories on accident in her grief. Ashamed of what she has done, she cracks open the barrier so the innocent people can leave, but SWORD takes the opportunity to enter. Hayward has an upgraded White Vision with him. The Visions battle while Wanda fights Agnes. Wanda defeats Agnes, while Vision uses logistics to get White Vision to leave. Hayward is apprehended and arrested. Wanda says goodbye to Vision and her kids, who vanish once Westview is freed, with Agatha prisoned within. Wanda goes off on her own to study magic. The Good: Wanda's arc in this show is surprisingly strong, and she is the best part of the entire show. I was very underwhelmed by the announcement of this show initially because Wanda and Vision are woefully underdeveloped characters who I didn't care about going into this show. But both characters were brilliantly written and acted in this series, which is a big reason for why the show was successful. Wanda's arc in particular was really well done. Wanda is a character who lost a lot in the MCU movies, losing her brother, her freedom and her lover before the events of this show. So it's fitting and powerful that the show spent so much time exploring grief and how these losses affected Wanda's life and ultimately led to her creating a fantasy world where she can just be happy. The themes of the show were explored wonderfully, and I really felt for Wanda by the end of the season when she had to lose everything again and finally come to terms with what she had lost. Vision was surprisingly engaging too. Since Vision died in "Infinity War", there is a lot of mystery surrounding how he is somehow walking around in Westview with sentience. What makes Vision so compelling is that he also realizes that something is wrong with the world, so much of our attempts to find out what's really happening comes through the eyes of Vision, endearing us to the character. There were some really good moments throughout the season which highlighted Vision's frustrations and how difficult it is for him to exist without knowing a thing about his past or how he even got to Westview. Since we care about both Wanda and Vision in this series, it makes it really easy to buy into their romance, which really surprised me since I thought it was a really flat storyline in the MCU films. But they were really well written here, and I especially appreciate getting the flashback scene that shows us exactly why they got together. Wanda was searching for a cure for her loneliness and grief while Vision yearned to experience these human emotions. This is really good storytelling that resulted in the show having a really strong emotional core. The mystery in this show ended up being really engaging. The way this show was executed is nothing like any MCU film, giving this a sense of uniqueness and intrigue that no other MCU property has had. It was a joy to tune in each week to see what details we would get about what was actually going on in the sitcom world of Westview. Eventually the answers were given, and not all of them worked (see: The Bad), but the intrigue of Westview is one of the primary hooks of the show and it is what kept me interested to keep watching the show. I really adore the presentation of this show. It's high budget so it looks fantastic and there is a lot of really strong camera work, editing and style to compliment the visuals. The sitcom style was a creative idea, and it gave the show charm and uniqueness that made the mystery even more fascinating to watch. And as a TV fan, I really enjoyed the homages paid to sitcoms of all the different eras from the 1950s to the 2000s. The custom intros and commercials were especially memorable delights, and the "Agatha All Along" song was a perfectly executed reveal that is still stuck in my head weeks after it was first shown. The Bad: Not everything about the show is great though. When the show was being its own thing, that was when it really excelled. However, as the show goes on it begins to introduce more and more typical MCU tropes and that weakened it significantly. The SWORD storyline was never interesting after all the major answers were given to us in "We Interrupt This Program". This is primarily because of how the story fell into typical MCU tropes that have been entirely played out. Quipping side characters are not interesting to watch, and I didn't find their lines funny at all. Furthermore, Monica, Darcy and Jimmy were all really weak characters with nothing memorable about them. If we were gonna spend so much time with SWORD, we needed better characters to make the experience more engaging. Hayward was another terrible character, but I'll get more into him later. The early parts of the show were somewhat frustrating in how slowly they were paced. I don't have an issue with slow pacing ("Better Call Saul" is one of my favourite shows), but there isn't much of substance in the first three episodes outside of a couple creepy moments and the sitcom comedy. And unfortunately, the sitcom comedy isn't very good. I get that the show is heavily borrowing from real sitcom storylines when coming up with its jokes, but it doesn't end up being that funny. While I appreciate the effort and the passion put into it, it's not gonna be good if I don't enjoy watching it. But the biggest issues with the show came with how it ended. The one biggest word to describe the ending is unsatisfying. Wanda's arc was wrapped up nicely, but the show's big twists did not have much impact, a lot of plot threads went unresolved, and the ones that were resolved were given entirely unsatisfying answers. I would compare this ending to the likes of "Lost", but at least "Lost" answered its most important questions satisfyingly. This show was unable to do that in its final act and that really dampened my enjoyment of the show. The villains ended up being terrible. Hayward is the most generic bad guy you will ever see, and there ended up being absolutely no depth to the character after he was introduced. Having him be taken out by Darcy was laughable, and it cements that Hayward was a bottom-tier villain. White Vision was a boring nothing character who did more bad for the story than good. It makes Wanda's tearful goodbye to Vision mean less since there's another Vision out there somewhere anyways. And where the hell did he go anyways? White Vision did not get a satisfying resolution. "WandaVision" fell for one of the MCU's trappings by choosing to set up for a later movie instead of just telling its own story. Agatha unfortunately also ended up being a lame villain. Kathryn Hahn gave a great performance and the character showed a lot of personality for the first seven episodes, making Agatha one of the most unique villains in the MCU so far. But after the "Agatha All Along" bit, the character sharply changed to become a typical condescending, monologuing, weakly motivated villain who has nothing special about her at all. Agatha was remarkably boring in the last two episodes of the show, and I was let down by that. So many storylines were given disappointing answers. The character of Fietro is probably the most egregious example of this. Casting Evan Peters ended up purely being a cold-hearted tease for fans, and it should not be surprising that a lot of fans were angered by this. But even looking at it from a storytelling perspective, the reveal of who Fietro is was disappointing. There's no explanation for how he has super speed, how Agatha had the ability to create him or anything like that. The character's resolution comes from an awful boner joke and a dumb moment where Monica takes him out and somehow manages to separate him from Agatha's influence. The entire purpose of the character was seemingly just to be taken out in an empty and unsatisfying way by Monica. If that's all Fietro was going to do, he shouldn't have been there to begin with. Monica herself added nothing to the story. The character isn't given any arc at all, which is awful considering how big of a role she has. The actress also doesn't do a very good job and the character falls flat as a result. Plus her superpowers make no sense, and the way she got them was as boring and uninspired as possible. One of the show's biggest mysteries was how Wanda created the Hex and why she didn't know that she did. The writers completely fail to answer this question. Apparently Wanda created this world but in her grief, she suppressed her own memory or something. The reasoning is incredibly vague and can easily be ripped to shreds. If Wanda had no idea of what she was doing, then how was she able to confront Hayward and the other SWORD agents? How was she able to reverse time the way she did? Hell, the time reverse thing just makes no sense anyways. There are plenty of other holes I can poke, and I'm sure others have done the work for me. The point is, the answer we got makes no sense and is not consistent with the show, which is horrible since this is the defining mystery of the entire show, and it is ignored. Best Episodes: E05 On a Very Special Episode...: This episode was entirely centered around the Wanda/Vision relationship and the tensions building between them as a result of SWORD's interference and Vision's growing suspicions. The tension is built up extremely well and the end of the episode features the best scene of the show, as Wanda and Vision finally have a full blooded argument which is interrupted by the shock arrival of Pietro. E06 All-New Halloween Spooktacular!: This episode had some really strong comedy, some of the most unsettling visuals of the show, and a really intense and dramatic ending. E08 Previously On: This episode was an engaging experience taking us through Wanda's past and showing us exactly what happened to get us to the events of this show. It felt like it took a lot of inspiration from "Watchmen", and though it doesn't come close to reaching those heights, it's still a really good episode. Worst Episodes: E01 Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience: This is an amusing episode but there really isn't much to it. E02 Don't Touch That Dial: Again, this episode is amusing and does the sitcom inspirations well, but it's lacking in substance. E09 The Series Finale: Here is where all of the worst reveals and answers were, and outside of Wanda's arc, this entire episode fell flat. Character of the Season: Wanda. Conclusion: In the end, "WandaVision" was a mixed bag. It did a lot of things right and had heart in most of its run, but the unsatisfying ending as well as fundamental problems with the SWORD storyline and the sitcom setting hurt the show and prevents it from being as great as it could have been. However, I am very glad that the MCU decided to take a risk with this show, and honestly the show was much, much better than I had expected it to be. It may not be a particularly great show, but it was better than my expectations, so it does have that going for it. My fear is that this show will be the best out of all of the new Disney+ MCU shows. I will try to review them all, but I might not have the time or motivation to do so. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will be starting soon so we'll see what the future for MCU television will hold with that show. Summary: Ross gets nervous about talking to Mona about their future. Chandler tries to get out of dinner with his boss so he says Monica left him. Rachel's hormones make her lust for sex.
The Good: Ross does his best to make a dumb storyline funny, and the characters quirks are amusing to watch. I laughed a few times at how badly he kept digging a hole for himself while trying to have "the talk" with Mona. Rachel and Joey thinking about having sex is a fun scene with a funny ending. Phoebe and Monica finding someone desperate for Rachel to have sex with was a funny idea, and it was the best thing that the writers got out of the generic hormonal pregnant woman storyline. The Bad: This episode had more of the silliness that has been hurting the show in recent seasons. Ross being so afraid of his conversation with Mona makes no sense and it's played up way too much to be as funny as it could have been. I've always been annoyed by hormonal pregnant women storylines because of how cheap and unoriginal they are, and that remained true here. Chandler's storyline is awful and his lie has to be one of the stupidest things Chandler has ever said. It's right up there with him sabotaging a co-worker's career because of a misunderstanding over his name. Best Moment: Joey yelling at Rachel to go back into her room was a great trope subversion that was perfectly executed. Character of the Episode: Ross. Conclusion: This episode had some funny moments, but the storylines were incredibly silly and there wasn't a lot about this episode that was memorable. Score: 53 Summary: Horik tells Floki he has to kill someone important to be trusted. Floki kills Torstein with poisonous mushrooms. Bjorn and Porunn confidently hook up. Horik turns on Ragnar and attacks with his men but Ragnar expected it. Lagertha murders Horik's wife and lets Ragnar's men kill his daughters. Torstein is revealed to be alive and both Floki and Siggy betray Horik. Horik is mrudered by Ragnar and Erlendur is captured. Ragnar becomes the king.
The Good: It's fun to have an episode centered around Floki, and there's some good tension in watching to find out who Floki will kill. The end of the episode was very good. The deaths of Horik and his forces were excellent and it was very satisfying to realize that Horik was never able to manipulate anyone and that Ragnar was always ahead of the game. I also really liked seeing Ragnar get the threesome he always wanted, and the prayer he did with Athelstan. The Bad: Ragnar becoming the King is meaningless since I have no clue what the difference is between a King and an Earl. Horik never became a compelling enough villain for this story to work. He was an idiot, his dialogue was poor, and the character had no depth. This all combined to make his death feel somewhat disappointing in how empty it felt. The Floki betrayal twist is painfully predictable. And on top of that, the episode spoils it by having Floki tell Bjorn about his loyalties before the big reveal anyways! Since we already knew the twist, the big reveal did not work. Also how the hell is Torstein alive? The show doesn't even care to explain how his death was faked. Lots of details with the betrayal don't work. Floki is somehow the best actor ever when setting up Horik. Siggy's motives make no sense and I have no clue why she chose Ragnar over Horik. Some parts of the episode were rushed. Lagertha vehemently refused to sleep with Ragnar before, yet she agrees to it here for no reason and the moment is thrown away offscreen. Athelstan hardly gets anything to do in this episode, just like the last one. It's disappointing to see him relegated to the background after having such a compelling arc. Bjorn and Porunn's romance sucks and is cringeworthy. Lastly, the episode is incredibly confusing. I have no idea what the purpose of the mushrooms was, I had to google to find out what had happened to Horik's family, and a lot of the time I wasn't sure why certain events were happening. I was hugely disconnected with this episode. Best Moment: Ragnar violently murdering Horik. Conclusion: This finale was totally disappointing. After a pretty strong season, we got a flat ending that was poorly written, left too many questions, and did not feel satisfying at all. The last two episodes gave this season a really disappointing end. For thoughts on the season overall, I've written a whole review on it that you can access here. Score: 52 Summary: The Vikings meet Ecbert in battle and are soundly defeated, Rollo is fatally injured but Athelstan saves him. Ecbert sends Athelstan to offer terms to the Vikings, giving them land in exchange for them being mercenaries for Mercia. Ragnar accepts, Rollo is returned and Athelstan chooses to go back with the Vikings. Aslaug makes Porunn a free woman.
The Good: The set up for the battle is really well done, and as usual we got a lot of great action once it actually started. I like that the Vikings felt mortal in this one as they are finally defeated and Rollo almost dies. As nonsensical as his survival is, explaining that the gods let him live is fitting with the world this show has established. Ragnar and Athelstan's scenes are wonderful, and they have one of the better relationships on the show. I like that Ragnar understood why he stayed with Ecbert, and I thought it was nice to see Athelstan choose to return with the Vikings. The mystery with Floki is developing nicely and I'm curious which direction the show will go in with this storyline. The Bad: The battle wasn't one of the show's best since it was shot with far too much shaky cam, making it hard to tell what was happening. The dealings with Ecbert were stunningly short and simplistic, and I can't help but be disappointed by how anticlimactic the conclusion was. I wish Athelstan's choice had been fixated on more because he mostly made it offscreen which is a horrible waste of the character. This is such a compelling conflict and I'm stunned that we didn't get to see its resolution. I'm hugely disappointed by that. Porunn becoming a free woman does nothing for me. I don't care about her. Best Moment: Ragnar and Athelstan's conversation. Conclusion: Once again this episode had some good moments, but so much of it was disappointing and needlessly simplistic. I expected more from this episode. Score: 56 Summary: Ragnar's next son is born with deformed legs. Ragnar wants to leave him but Aslaug saves him. The Vikings leave for Wessex with Floki growing closer to Horik. Ecbert hosts Kwenthrith from Mercia. Upon arrival, Ragnar sends Torstein to set up a meet with Ecbert. Aethelwulf meets with the Vikings and makes a deal with Ragnar. However, Horik has secretly laid a trap and murders everyone in Aethelwulf's group except him.
The Good: The birth of Ragnar's monster son Ivar was horrifying and it led to some decent exploration of a unique conflict. I thought the scenes with Ragnar and Aslaug were pretty well done. Everything surrounding the next raid is as fun as ever. The many departures were fascinating and carried a lot of weight, giving a lot of finality to this upcoming conflict. I like that the Ragnar/Horik conflict was furthered in Wessex and how it will likely be the thing that triggers all out war with England. The ending attack scene was frighteningly intense. The Bad: This feels like a transitional episode so it isn't really able to stand on its own. The birth of Ivar feels like a strange thing to focus on so late in the season. Kwenthrith was horrible and I hated every second of her when she was on screen. Best Moment: The departures were really well shot and featured some really good interactions. Conclusion: This episode neatly sets up the next raid in England and has some fun moments of its own, but it isn't enough for this episode to step out of the shadow of being a transitional episode. Score: 61 Summary: Horik persuades Ragnar to delay Borg's execution until they get allies. Helga is pregnant and she marries Floki. Earl Ingstad allies with Horik and Ragnar, and she's revealed to be Lagertha. Borg is executed. Ecbert and Aelle form a marriage alliance.
The Good: There will inevitably be a Ragnar/Horik conflict and this episode sets it up well with Siggy and Floki both turning to Horik, but the show seems to suggest that Ragnar is at least somewhat aware of these events as he watches them transpire from out of sight. It could be some very clever foreshadowing. I liked the developments in this episode. Borg's execution is well done, the Ecbert/Aelle alliance feels like a big deal and Lagertha allying with Ragnar makes sense. Finally, I've been enjoying Floki this season quite a bit and I thought that his response to Helga's pregnancy was great. The Bad: The episode feels like it's stalling. The pacing is slow and both marriages aren't compelling and feel empty. It's cool that they were paralleled, but it added nothing to the story and made the episode feel painfully slow. Floki being upset with Ragnar makes no sense, I'm hoping that there's an explanation for this or that's very poor writing. Rollo is once again given the conflict of staying with Ragnar or going on his own. I'm sick of seeing this conflict. Best Moment: The blood eagle was a cool moment, and I like that Borg somehow managed not to cry, ensuring passage to Valhalla. Conclusion: This episode had good scenes, but the pacing is slow and parts of the episode feel like padding. Score: 58 Summary : Horik returns to Kattegat and demands that they ally with Borg again. Initially Ragnar is welcoming of Borg’s arrival, but at night he burns the barn where Borg's men are sleeping and captures Borg, planning to do a blood eagle with him. Ecbert gives Athelstan a new job of copying scrolls left behind by the Romans. Lagertha returns to Sigvard who has her beaten. The next day Sigvard tries to humiliate her but she kills him and his men turn on him as well.
The Good: Athelstan's arc is still one of the best parts of the show. His scenes with Ecbert are excellent, and I'm still compelled by his conflict. I especially loved that he saw Floki's face in the reflection, emphasizing that he shouldn't be so at peace as a Christian when he should be more loyal to the Vikings. The end of the episode is the other highlight and it saves this episode from mediocrity. It becomes apparent that Ragnar is up to something, and seeing everyone turn on Borg and his men is remarkably tense and dramatic, providing a perfect climax. Ragnar's flamboyancy as he declares that Borg will be executed via blood eagle is a wonderful character touch, and the moment provides that satisfying bit of vengeance that the previous episode did not provide. The Bad: I was disappointed not to see what happened to Horik in England. Furthermore, I'm confused why he needs Borg so badly. He's a king, surely he can recruit several more Earls. It's not like Ragnar is the only one loyal to him. Borg's story about his wife and her skull feels tacked on to make the character more interesting. It didn't work. Lagertha's story remains atrocious and it comes to a nonsensical ending. It really begs the question of why she didn't kill him earlier. What's worse is how Sigvard's own men turn on him after he dies. Why didn't they turn on him before then? Why wait until Lagertha killed him? This makes no sense at all and fails to be at all satisfying. Bjorn's storyline with the servant girl is already making me roll my eyes. I pray that there will be more depth to that storyline. Best Moment: The final ten minutes as Ragnar executes his plan. The entire episode was building to this and it was a tense, chilling and satisfying sequence to watch. One of the better sequences the show has done so far. Conclusion: This episode was a slog for most of its run time, but those final ten minutes were superb. Score: 63 Summary: Ecbert uses Athelstan to get a better understanding of the Vikings. Ragnar and Bjorn sneak into Kattegat and burn the food supplies to draw out Borg. They meet in battle and Borg is routed. Bjorn performs a sacrifice and chooses to stay with Ragnar. Lagertha leaves to go back to Sigvard.
The Good: There were more reunions in this episode and they were really enjoyable to watch. I liked the plan to draw out Borg and I thought it was put on screen pretty well. The battle scene provided more of the same action that the show does so well. Athelstan has been put in an interesting position. Before he was telling the Vikings about Christians, and now he is doing the opposite in service of Ecbert. The Bad: It was dumb to send Ragnar in to burn the food. He's the most valuable person there. The battle is actually a bit disappointing since there isn't anything to make it stand out above any of the others. Ragnar and Borg never come to blows and it doesn't feel as satisfying as it should. Having Lagertha announce her choice to everyone felt needlessly melodramatic and took me out of the story being told. The show tried to present it as a huge moment but it never felt like one. The episode also highlights the show's problem with a lack of subtlety. Usually it isn't too bad, but there are so many scenes here that would have benefitted from the show being more subtle. Best Moment: Athelstan's hallucination of the devil. The show is doing a great job showing this character dealing with his inner conflict. Conclusion: This episode continued the story in a decent way and had some good moments, but a lot of it felt empty and unsatisfying. Add on some writing issues and this is easily the weakest episode of the season so far. Score: 57 Summary: Ragnar meets with Ecbert and they make a deal. Ragnar gets news of what happened in Kattegat and immediately leaves. Horik chooses to stay. Ecbert takes advantage and attacks, killing many men. Athelstan is captured and crucified but Ecbert spares his life. Ragnar finds where Rollo has kept his family and wants vengeance. Lagertha asks Sigvard to go help Ragnar but he refuses. Lagertha and Bjorn go anyways and they reunite with Ragnar.
The Good: The dealings between Ragnar and Ecbert are thrilling to watch and both actors are commanding in their scene together. Their conversation is tense and fascinating. I really like that Ecbert took the opportunity to attack when Ragnar left, and Athelstan's fate was horrifying, yet fitting for a character that turned against his Christian roots. I'm really intrigued to see what's next for him. I enjoyed seeing Ragnar reunite with Bjorn; the scene was really sweet and emotionally satisfying. Seeing Floki, a boat builder, express his fear at watching other boats sink in a storm was a fantastic character detail. Floki is still a really engaging character to watch. The Bad: This episode suffers from having too many storylines, making the episode feel messy and unfocused. It's impossible to believe that Lagertha would end up with a husband like Sigvard who would try to rape her. Did she really just marry whoever she could? It makes no sense. It also makes no sense that she somehow turned up at the end of the episode with an army anyways. Aslaug was really annoying in this episode as she complains about living in a poor household. Best Moment: The tense conversation between Ragnar and Ecbert. Conclusion: This episode continued the story in logical and interesting ways, but the unfocused nature makes this feel like more of a transitional episode in spite of some really good scenes. Score: 63 Summary: The Vikings attack Winchester and find its treasure with Athelstan's help. Athelstan finds a priest and a young monk that reminds him of himself. The monk is tortured but Athelstan gives him a mercy killing. Ecbert sends an envoy to meet with Ragnar and Horik. Horik wants to fight but Ragnar resolves things diplomatically. Borg attacks Kattegat out of vengeance and Rollo organizes the defences while leading Ragnar's family away. Elsewhere, Lagertha has married the Earl Sigvard who Bjorn despises.
The Good: The two action sequences in this episode are outstanding. The Viking raid of Winchester is tense, dramatic, brilliantly choreographed, and filled with heart as it explores Athelstan's conflict. A particularly striking scene is when Athelstan encounters a fellow monk in the exact same position he was in when he was found. Athelstan was the best part of this episode. The ending action scene was also fantastic as Borg's surprise attack is an unexpected development and that builds up tension that makes you wonder if Rollo can fight him off. Ecbert proves to be a more intelligent and interesting foe, and the selection of his envoy was a joy to watch. I'm excited to see where this storyline goes. The Bad: The Lagertha storyline was awful unfortunately. Sigvard is a woeful character and I have no idea why Lagertha would ever marry him. It seems like a huge oversight for Ragnar to not expect Borg to retaliate after he was excluded from the raid. Surely somebody as smart as him would have foreseen this. Best Moment: Athelstan being unable to watch the priest get tortured. His inner turmoil is shown very well, and his choice to intervene and give the priest a merciful death with a Latin prayer is very telling about where the character is, and this decision is bound to have consequences. Conclusion: This was a really strong episode that explored meaningful conflict, had engaging action and nicely set up the Ecbert storyline. I'm excited to see where the season goes from here. Score: 66 Summary: 4 years have passed and Ragnar has two sons. Ragnar decides it's time to raid again and Rollo asks to go with him. Horik and Borg arrive in Kattegat for the raid. Horik convinces Ragnar to not allow Borg to come. Ragnar also prevents Rollo from coming but acknowledges him as a brother again. Borg goes to Rollo for vengeance but is rebuked. The Vikings reach England but a storm sends them off course to Wessex. They make camp and are attacked; one of Horik's sons is killed. Athelstan proves himself in the battle.
The Good: I like how the Ragnar/Rollo conflict has evolved after the last episode. Now Rollo seems more loyal and eager to prove himself, and his rejection of Borg's offer is wonderful. Athelstan had a great episode as well after being absent in the first. Seeing him embrace being a Viking is great, and watching how he fared in his first battle was really engaging. I really enjoyed the voyage and the storm. Sailing is an essential aspect of Vikings, so I think it's fitting to show us more of it. I really liked how the threat of the storm was portrayed. The battle was far better in this episode, and the Wessex men were a definite threat as they got the jump on the Vikings. There was genuine tension in this episode. The Bad: The timeskip further supports my argument that "Brother's War" should have been the season 1 finale. It feels jarring to happen in the second episode of a season. The conversations between Ragnar and Aslaug were far too melodramatic. This is a Viking show not a soap opera. Everything with Aslaug didn't work in this episode since the show hasn't explained the society well enough to give context to her struggles. Siggy is annoying in this episode, and the character's over-reliance on playing Lady Macbeth makes her dull to watch, Best Moment: The battle sequence. Conclusion: I enjoy watching Vikings in action and when the show is focusing on that, it's great. But when the show shifts its focus elsewhere, flaws start popping up and that's what happened here. Still, this is a really enjoyable episode with a lot of momentum. Score: 65 Summary: Borg and Horik go to war with Rollo and Ragnar on opposing sides. There's a battle and Rollo kills Arne and badly injures Floki, but stands down when faced with Ragnar. After the battle, both groups meet up and Ragnar organizes a truce where all parties will raid England together. Ragnar returns to Kattegat where Bjorn has told Lagertha about Aslaug. Rollo is judged by the lawgiver, who Ragnar pays off in secret to spare Rollo. Aslaug arrives pregnant to Kattegat. Ragnar tries to arrange a peace between her and Lagertha, but Lagertha chooses to leave and Bjorn chooses to go with her.
The Good: The action here was over-the-top, but very entertaining to watch, aided by the weight of Rollo fighting against Ragnar. I like that Rollo regretted his choice and it was interesting to watch what would become of him. Ragnar paying off the lawgiver was a lovely touch. Ragnar's inner conflict was done well in this episode as he deals with having two women that he wants to be with. I also liked the scene where he grieved for Gyda. Aslaug's arrival was a great event that shook things up and it built up to a surprisingly sad scene as Ragnar has to say farewell to his family. The Bad: Too much stuff happened here and the structure is strange. This episode concluded all of the conflict set up in the season 1 finale and makes me question why this wasn't the finale instead. It's also very jarring for so much to be resolved in such a short period of time. The show spent all of last season building up to Rollo's turn, so it is wholly unsatisfying that he ends up going back to Ragnar's side anyways by the end of the episode. The Ragnar/Aslaug/Lagertha story had a bit too much melodrama for my liking and the character details didn't add up. Bjorn telling Lagertha about Aslaug is inexplicable, Lagertha being so against polygamy even though it's established that Earl's can do this is awkward and never explained, Ragnar leaving Aslaug behind is never explored so her arrival is more confusing than anything, etc. Lots of details fall out of place when you look closer. Also the action sequence ended up being pretty goofy with some absurd shots that would never pan out in a real battle. Best Moment: The sad ending as Ragnar watches Lagertha and Bjorn leave. Conclusion: This was a fast-paced and action-packed premier that felt like a monumental episode, but the execution in a few places was flawed and detracted from my enjoyment. Score: 62 |
Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
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